Pork producer subsidiary to use compressed gas

The biodiesel is produced from waste products from Seaboard's pork processing operation in Guymon.

High Plains Bioenergy, the subsidiary company, added 45 new trucks to its fleet last year that uses compressed natural gas, which is seen as a cleaner-burning alternative to diesel or gasoline.

The number of trucks now has grown to 103, with Seaboard Foods CEO Terry Holton saying it could go even higher, the Oklahoman reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/1lkIaVL ).

"Seaboard Foods continues to investigate other opportunities to integrate CNG into our fleet operations, and we are excited about the potential for expansion in the near future," Holton said.

High Plains has contracted with TruStar Energy to build a large fast-fill CNG station in Guymon. The dual-compression station will be configured to serve a wide array of trucks that Seaboard and its subsidiaries use to move their products.

It's the first fueling station in Oklahoma for the California-based TruStar, which has built more than 60 CNG stations throughout the country since 2008.

"Building this station for High Plains Bioenergy and Seaboard Foods is very exciting to us at TruStar Energy because we're working with another company with a strong commitment to renewable energy," TruStar Vice President Scott Edelbach said.

David Eaheart, Seaboard's director of communications, said the company is building a database of fueling stations so it can increase the use of CNG trucks in its nationwide distribution network. He also said Seaboard will consider allowing public access to its new fueling station in Guymon, which could encourage others that do business with the company to use CNG as well.

Seaboard is no stranger to alternative energy, as High Plains has been producing biodiesel from animal fats since 2008. It uses a process called transesterification to separate glycerin from animal fats and vegetable oils.

"High Plains Bioenergy is a renewable energy company focused on producing as well as using high-quality alternative fuels for the Seaboard Foods integrated food system," Holton said, noting it produced 34 million gallons of biodiesel in 2013.